Senior Economic Advisor Moses Kuria has criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for setting himself up by playing abrasive politics during his tenure as the country’s second in command.
Speaking after Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s swearing-in ceremony at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, the government advisor faulted Gachagua for orchestrating a retrogressive narrative intended to alienate the Mt Kenya region from the rest of the country.
The former Public Service Cabinet Secretary emphasised that the Mt Kenya region, despite being populous, could not succeed independently without the input of other regions particularly because Mt Kenya residents are mainly traders and thus heavily depend on the rest of Kenyans to purchase their products.
“Anyone thinking that they can mobilize their politics around ethnicity, around one region. What does it benefit you to win the whole world and lose yourself? It is only a foolish businessman who fights his customers,” Kuria cryptically commented while referencing Gachagua.
“We came very close to losing it to the politics of negativity. The message is clear to everybody, your region cannot be better than the rest of the nation. This backward, primitive narrative has been overtaken by events,” he added.
While addressing journalists, Moses Kuria pointed to the need for unity and collective effort in driving the nation forward. The former CS noted that Gachagua’s impeachment would act as a lesson for Kenyans who thought their region was better than the rest of the country.
Kuria went ahead to accuse Gachagua of instigating his dismissal from the cabinet in July this year. According to the government advisor, Gachagua's attempt to oppose President Ruto's administration and policies forced the Head of State to overhaul the whole cabinet.
“If it is to fight, why don’t you pick up a fight that you know you can win? When you just fight like that, we go fight, and we as a people lose. That is why people like me are no longer in the cabinet because someone picked a fight,” adds Kuria in a dig at former DP.
Kuria's sentiments followed moments after Kithure Kindiki was sworn-in as the deputy president to replace Gachagua, who was impeached by both the National Assembly.
Kindiki's swearing-in was initially scheduled to take place on October 19 but the ceremony was postponed after Gachagua's legal team obtained consevatory orders that stopped the former Interior CS's sweating-in that was supposed to take place at the Uhuru Gardens.
The High Courts in Nairobi and Kerugoya issued the orders stopping Kindiki's appointment until the petition filed by the former deputy president was heard and determined.
However, after about two weeks of court battles, the High Court seated in Nairobi on Thursday, October 31 gifted the conservatory orders, paving the way for Kindiki's swearing-in.
